L'Escargot

Dreadful restaurant! We last dined here 10 years ago and could not believe how much it had changed for the worst! Prices still high but the food was terrible. I have also left a review on tripadvisor as I would hate other people to have our experience.We were a table of 9 celebrating an 18th birthday.Grandad had flown from Milan especially for the celebration.The surroundings and wine were lovely but that is where it ends.The service was not at all polished and the food was tastless and very badly presented.We would never return and would urge others to give it a most definate miss!!

I went to this restaurant last night not knowing that a) it was a michelin star restaurant and b) that a celebrity chef owned it. Having just googled the restaurant and discovered this, I am literally shocked as my meal was mediocre at best. Our table ordered the steak, the salmon and the tuna, all of which were over cooked – the fish especially. My cooked spinach may as well not have been on my plate as it didn’t have the least bit of flavor and was seriously in need of a heavy hand of seasoning. The atmosphere was extremely stuffy and made for an awkward, kind of uncomfortable meal. The staff were attentive, but what I found odd was the rapidity of the meal. We ordered our meals and within less than 10 minutes they were at our table. I can’t believe I am about to complain about this but it was too fast. When at a nice restaurant with a bottle of wine for the table, one would assume that you’d like to enjoy a lengthy stay sipping wine and chatting with friends. Our meals were served after I had taken one sip of wine, and I found myself having to speed drink with the rest of my meal. We were in and out of there in half an hour! Who goes to a fancy restaurant, pays a sizable bill, and doesn’t get to enjoy any time at the restaurant. I take a longer lunch break at prêt. Would NOT recommend this restaurant. You will have a much better meal going to a typical Italian restaurant or steakhouse for a fraction of the cost.

What is this review about? Who cares if something is 'dated' as the reviewer put it, as long as the food is of sufficient quality for the price. What kind of reviewer is this? L'Escargot does its job incredibly well- it provides good food in a pleasant, affordable environment. It's not going to win Michelin stars- the cooking is of a different kind to the Michelin requisite- but it is a good restaurant all the same. Anyway, Paupiette of salmon isn't dated- it's all the rage in the great classical restaurants of Paris, like Le Train Bleu and Maxim's,at the moment.